A series of new “bite size” and “flexible” courses aimed at professionals in the dairy processing sector is aiming to drive innovation and sustainability in the industry.
The new post-graduate diploma and MSc qualifications in dairy technology and innovation are delivered through the Dairy Science Centre of Excellence by University College Cork (UCC) and Taste4Success Skillnet.
The programmes, which were officially launched yesterday (Monday, June 19), have been developed in response to demand from the dairy processing industry.
Dairy
Seamus O’Mahony, professor of dairy science at UCC, told Agriland that the real focus of these courses is to support dairy processing staff to upskill in dairy science and technology while still working full time.
He said that people would be coming to the “blended, flexible, part-time programmes” from a range of different educational backgrounds, including those without formal third-level qualifications.
“We feel this is critically important in terms of driving innovation and extracting the maximum possible value from milk.
“The emphasis over the last decade has been on volume-based expansion. We now see that we’re entering a new phase; a new decade of value add and innovation.
“The key thing that’s required to make that happen is an investment in the talent and the people that are working in the sector right now, but also people that will be recruited into the sector in the years ahead,” O’Mahony said.
“We’re hearing that message very strongly from the industry. They want access to these programmes in perhaps non-traditional ways, in bite-size flexible pieces.”
The courses are “stackable” in that participants can build up their modules over time to achieve their qualification. This includes online learning, along with practical elements delivered at Teagasc, Moorepark.
A series of webinars focused on specific and emerging areas within the dairy sector have also been developed by UCC for dairy professionals.
Processors
Pauline Digan, human resources manager at Carbery Group, outlined some of the challenges facing the Irish dairy sector, including sustainability; carbon footprint; employee skills; digitisation and cybersecurity.
Attracting and retaining staff is also a challenge for the industry as people’s expectations of a job are not simply based on salary but also career development and progression and flexible working.
Digan said the dairy processing sector needs “to recruit, engage and optimise” talented people to drive the success of the industry into the future.
“It’s really powerful when universities and learning providers work closely, in close collaboration in a constructive way with industry to develop programmes such as these to identify the challenges we face in terms of that talent piece, to identify some of the solutions that we can put in place to meet and manage those challenges.
“It’s very powerful because we are a very powerful part of the economy in that we provide €16 billion to the island of Ireland, we employ 85,000 people, so we’re a substantial contributor to the Irish economy,” she said.
Claire McGee, head of education and innovation policy with Ibec, highlighted the role of leadership and management in the dairy processing sector.
“I don’t know if there’s a right or a wrong answer about when you have to encourage people to train.
“I think it’s really about encouraging a learning culture within your organisation and enabling a growth mindset.
“The people who do well are always innovative, they’re always curious, they’re always asking questions. They really want to go onto the next level.
“They’re the people who you want on your team,” she said.
McGee said that “you can’t become complacent” when dealing with a sector on the scale of Irish dairy processing.
“You have to always be looking to the future. Internationally, you want to be that research-led industry, research-led organisation so you’re at the cutting edge all the time.
“That’s where we can make sure we’re going to continue to be competitive, but continue to be globally responsible and globally successful,” she said.